The Wooden Box
by The Starry Puzzle
Summary: Alison is very independent and knows how to survive on her own. Of course, this sadly also shows that she is isolated in her own little world. What will she learn when she gets a beautiful wooden box from her Aunt, on the day of her birthday?
1. Prologue  A Mysterious Past

**The Wooden Box**

**Prologue - A Mysterious Past**

I couldn't move. I wanted to stay longer after every second I spent sitting on the shore, watching the mellow glowing sunset sink down gradually into the horizon. I sighed and finally looked more downwards to the shimmering sea, which beheld many wonders and confidentially uncovered secrets.

As Dusk began to approach faster, I finally had enough will power to get up from the rocks to walk up to the lighthouse, the place where I had always lived, ever since the day I was born; where my past, my present and most of my future will remain.

I stumbled onto the rocks, as I climbed towards my home with the world darkening around me. When I got to the door, I lit the two lanterns at the door before going in. I then flipped the switch that turned on the main light in the lighthouse.

In the center of the room, sat my presents, still unopened and untouched on the floor. I smiled. Although there were few presents in front of my eyes, everybody I ever knew remembered my birthday: my Auntie Claire, my cousin Maureen and my four best friends Felicia, Hannah, Paul and Daniel. Even though I never minded being alone, I felt like bursting into tears because of my solitude on my birthday.

Now Auntie was away in hospital, suffering from cancer with a slim chance of surviving, while Maureen and my friends lived scattered in different places of the world, working at their summer jobs. The rest of my family had gone. They were in a better place than I was.

I knelt down in front of my presents for a few moments. I noticed that my Aunt sent two presents this year; my birthday cake and something else. I picked up the other present Aunt Claire sent and tore the orange wrapping paper off of it.

I gasped. Aunt Claire sent me her wonderful wooden box, which contained gems and detailed carvings on the lid. I remembered the day when I visited Aunt Claire for the first time. I saw that wooden box on her library shelf, practically falling in love with it.

"One day it shall be yours," Claire always reassured me as the years went by. And yes, it was, in the palms of my hands.

With no further hesitation, I lifted the lid open, suddenly producing a blinding, bright light from within, along with a deafening roar of a tornado in the wind. However, I couldn't escape, or get away from the box, or out of the lighthouse.

This went on for several minutes until suddenly, there an abrupt blackout…

Finally having enough consciousness, I pushed myself to sit up again, lighting up a match from a box in my pocket.

I lead the match to the open box, which revealed creepy, shockingly old pictures in black-and-white instead of color. These photographs revealed a cute, innocent girl with not a care in the world, standing in the garden picking and smelling some flowers. Other pictures showed the same girl with friends; laughing, playing, catching butterflies.

Beautiful and picturesque as the photographs looked, there was still something very eerie and terrifying about them. At every picture's corner hid a swooping, ghostly figure. What was that figure? Who was that figure? Was it someone called…Death?

I gasped when I found a picture of me at my age now, sitting by myself looking up. Somehow though, I felt as if I wasn't just looking at the sky above me in the picture. It looked as though I was staring into my future…


	2. The Journey

Chapter 1 – The Journey 

You're traveling through another dimension, a dimension not only of sight and sound but also of mind. A journey into a wondrous land whose boundaries are that of imagination. That's the signpost up ahead— your next stop, the Twilight Zone!

I continued to sit there scanning through the photographs getting more suspicious and curious. How come none of those kids noticed that shadowy figure in the atmosphere? What WAS I staring at in my picture? Although it seemed as if I was staring into my future, I couldn't have literally been staring into it. However…what if I was staring at an oracle that had something to do with my life in the future?

I shook my head in disbelief at how many questions had suddenly started to flood my brain.

Finally turning away from the box with the pictures, I reluctantly started to crawl towards my other presents, but before I knew it there was once again a blinding beam of light coming up from behind me. My presents flew up and started spinning around in the air as if caught up in a swirling tornado. Sooner or later, I started being whirled around in the invisible 'tornado'.

Eventually, the tornado stopped but things didn't return to normal. In fact, it felt as if those crazy, bizarre events were just beginning. I felt strange. I wasn't doing anything. I was just falling. Falling…falling…continuously falling into a bottomless pit of time and space without landing.

I opened my mouth to scream, but no sound came out from my voice box. This way that I was going through was frightening. It was loud and quiet at the same time. The only thing that could be heard was the sound of howling gusts of wind.

I continued to fall into an abyss; into oblivion; going nowhere in particular.

I opened my mouth as if to let out a soundless gasp when suddenly, I stopped falling. Time and space froze around me, just like me in my falling position and all the other chaotic havoc around me.

"Alright, times up Alison," announced a booming bellow of a man, practically causing the distilled moment and surrounding to shake violently like an earthquake.

Although I felt surprised at how this person knew my name (since I mostly grew up in an independent manner, able to survive on my own), I felt great relief that I could move my legs and other parts of my body like normal. I felt additional joyous relief washed over me as I could speak and hear my own voice once more when I spoke back to the person.

"Who are you? How do you know my real name?" I asked, with a combination of awe and confusion in my voice.

The person chuckled and now speaking in a softer tone, he responded, "Well well well, wouldn't you like to know? I know everything about everybody and anybody Alison. I'm Peter and I'm very glad that I have the chance to talk to you in person; face to face."

I was slightly amazed that I noticed how the person sounded more like a teenage boy around my age, rather than someone older.

I clenched my fists at my sides as I defiantly asked once more,

"What is this place? Where the hell am I?"

The person gave a soft chuckle before replying, "I'm sorry, but I'm afraid that I can't tell you that. But I CAN tell you how to get out of this area where you are now; look around Ali, and you'll be sure to find a door, which will take you out of here. I promise."

I gingerly got up, still looking down far into the bottomless abyss. When I stood up, I felt like I was standing on an invisible glass-floor.

When I briefly looked around though, there was not a single door of any sort in sight. I frowned in agitation and confusion. I didn't ever like feeling confused, for it just made me feel stupid and clueless to everything around me.

I closed my eyes, trying me best to stay calm.

Of course, a few moments later, I gave out a gasp of surprise. With my eyes still closed, I finally saw a tall, black door, standing in front of me. I smiled as I opened my eyes, resulting a feeling of confusion returning to me because I didn't see the door in front of me when I opened my eyes.

"What the…?" I muttered to myself.

I sighed, closing my eyes again, smiling at the door that reappeared in front of me. I finally began walking towards it. I opened the door, which flung me to a swirling purple portal of mystery.

Unlike my previous part of my unexpected journey, this mystical purple tunnel was calm and peaceful, and it let me walk through it instead of juggling me around in the air. However, after spending what seemed like endless hours of walking, I began to get tired because I didn't see an end to the tunnel or an entrance to somewhere else.

I knelt down, attempting to rest my legs after my long walk. I heard a slight sound of gradual, shattering glass, only realizing that the purple tunnel around me started to disappear around me. I buried my face into the palm of my hands feeling like a scared mouse about to be killed by a menacing, big cat.

"Well, Alison. Glad you made it here after all," came the voice that I previously heard. Only, this time, I felt like he was in the room, watching my every move.


	3. Revealed

**Chapter 2 – Revealed**

I lifted my face out of my hands, looking up to the world around me. I found myself looking around at a big, spacious, white room. Shortly after, I noticed that the room contained white furniture that blended into the surroundings very well, not obvious to the eye.

I looked up ahead of me and shockingly noticed a teenage boy around my age or slightly older. He stood in the distance near another doorway of the room, yet I was near enough to him to catch his appearance and features.

The boy stood tall, with a tanned color to his skin and thin, fit body, which was clad in a spotless, white button shirt, baggy blue jeans and black sneakers.

Slightly wavy and straight brown hair had rested on his head with deep, dark-brown eyes on his face. When the boy then gave a brief smile, it showed his perfect, pearly-white teeth. That boy looked like one of those preps; especially those ones in High school movies on T.V. He was very handsome.

But why did he bring me here? Was he even the one who brought me to this strange, quiet place?

As if reading my thoughts, the boy gave a chuckle again and spoke out "Come on Ali. You would be pretty stupid, not to know why you are here."

"Well excuse me for wondering," I retorted with a sarcastic tone in my voice, easily frustrated and irritated with the boy's condescending attitude.

He sighed lightly. "Always the little hot-head huh?"

I felt like lunging into him and beating him up but I didn't bother. After all, it was no use, denying the truth. Instead, I only nodded, looking down to the floor. Shortly after I looked up to the boy again, and decided to start over.

"So you must be Peter. Right?" I asked.

Peter nodded and once again gave me his pearly-white smile, which made my knees buckle slightly. Fortunately, I managed to keep a straight face and continued with another question.

"Now let's try this again. Pete; if you don't mind me calling you that," I started and saw Pete shake his head, still smiling but this time a simple smile with his mouth closed. Then I proceeded.

"Pete, what am I doing here? What –"

"Take it easy Ali. One question at a time," Pete started calmly. He took a deep breath and continued, "I think that question is enough to get many answers. I do know you –"

"Then how come I don't know YOU?" I interrupted boldly.

Somehow, Peter managed to stay calm and collected without shouting at me. "Let me finish Ali. I haven't actually met you before because…well, you didn't let me. I mean you were always alone with your best friend Hannah, and it didn't seem like you wanted to meet anyone else. You have known Hannah since pre-school and then you met your other three friends; Paul, Daniel and Felicia, if I'm not mistaken; in second grade."

"How do you know my friends?" I asked.

"I don't know your friends Ali. Just their names and when you met them. I know your family members' names too but again, I don't really know them personally. In fact, the only person on earth I know well personally and have a connection to is…you," Peter answered and paused, looking into my eyes before proceeding. "I know how isolated you are because of your life alone in the light house. You Aunt Claire is dead. She DID die of cancer –"

"No! She didn't! You're lying!" I roared.

"Just goes to show Ali. You are too locked up in your own world; too locked up in the lighthouse to find out what happens in the world around you, particularly your loved ones," Pete pointed out gravely.

"But it's the only place I have! It's my home! My dad –" I persisted before getting interrupted by Peter who finished off with,

"Was a light house keeper. The lighthouse was always your family home."

I gasped as I thought, _Oh my gosh! He DOES know me!_

Of course instead of relaying my thought to Pete, I simply said, "Yeah!" with a stunned expression.

"So Claire had her daughter; your cousin, Maureen send you the cake and the box before auntie passed way. Yesterday."

I couldn't take it anymore. I turned away from Paul, but obviously, that didn't help.

"I know how much it hurts, Ali. Your friends won't be coming –"

"Until late August. I know," I completed as I nodded, trying only to show indifference and trying to show that I knew how to carry on. However, deep down inside, I have had an empty feeling ever since the day when Auntie Claire got sent to hospital for treatment. She was everything to me, especially in my early years in life.

"Still though Alison; don't you think the next time you see your best friends is a long time away?" Pete asked again.

"Nope, not really," I answered shortly, still doing my best to sound normal.

"I know you may be used to having an independent life Ali, but I can tell that deep inside, you wish for more. I can tell that you don't want to be alone, no matter how used to it you are," said Peter softly as I heard him walk behind me and gently put his arm around me.

"But…when I am alone, I don't usually feel sad. I feel happy because I don't feel that there is anybody around to bother me," I pointed out.

"But when you are alone, you are supposed to face even your biggest problems alone, even when deep down, you want someone by your side," Peter added.

"I guess what you are trying to tell me is that –" I began but got cut off again by Peter, who finished with,

"You need to get out to see the world, when you have the chance. Open up, since yes, the world may be cruel at times, but that doesn't mean that it is ALWAYS like that." Peter paused for a bit before saying "Will you do that Ali?"

I looked up at him, with a sad, yet blank look.

"Please Ali. You and I both know how much you don't like the feeling of loneliness, even though you give the impression saying that you don't care. It's never too late to escape; to break away from your shell," Paul added gently, still with his arm around my shoulders.

I stayed silent. Eventually afterwards, I slowly stood up and nodded, while answering uneasily, "Well Pete, I guess I could give it a try."

"Awesome Ali! Trust me! You won't regret it!" Paul exclaimed ecstatically and gave my right hand a light squeeze.

"I hope I won't," I muttered.

Peter shook his head and I found that he had a positive look in his eye and smile; a look as though he believed in me; that he believed in me more than he believed in himself.

I finally managed to smile sincerely back at him.

Pete handed me my wooden box. "Good luck Ali," he wished me.

"Thanks," I responded as I gingerly opened the box.

Instead of falling through an abyss, it just quietly teleported me back home. It was a calm journey, no booming voices and with no shocking experiences; it was more peaceful than I could put in words.


	4. Epilogue  The Note

**Epilogue – The Note**

I breathed a sigh of relief, joyful to be back home. I was safe in the lighthouse once again. I felt that I still held the box in my hands. It was still open and showed the photographs I saw before. No! They weren't the same ones now!

I saw the photographs slowly transforming from black-and-white to color. Also, Death was no longer mysteriously hidden in the corner but a beautiful, smiling angel took its place, glowing radiantly in every background, as if not afraid to stand out and shine. I gasped with exhilaration to find my own picture of only me to have changed too. Instead of me looking eerily ahead at something mysterious, I smiled with my best clothes on and my greatest smile that I could put on my face.

As I took the photographs out of the box, I found a handwritten note in fresh, black ink shaped in neat handwriting. I carefully unfolded it and read it.

_**Dear Alison,**_

_**You must still be wondering about the photographs and their changes. Let me tell you that these photographs were even there because of you; because of your existence. **_

_**Before you were brought here, the photographs were in black and white and a mysterious figure slithered and swooped in the shadows. Yes Ali, that figure was Death; who like yourself before, is said to be isolated and on his own. Death himself always was, always is and always will be alone. These pictures represented your isolated past; of how you mostly stayed by yourself if none of your best friends were around.**_

_**However, things are different now. The photographs changed to color because you truly believe deep down that you can somehow make the world a better place, simply by going out there and get to meet more people and help them along the way; just like the angel who took Death's place in the pictures.**_

_**I know that you are a wonderful person deep down, and it's a pity for people not to know many people like you. I'm glad that your four best friends deeply love and appreciate you.**_

_**I'm hopeful to meet you again someday soon Alison. It's a small world after all, so we never know when we'll end up seeing each other again.**_

_**Once again, I wish you the best of luck with your life. I hope that you will have more people by your side to help you along the bumpy ride of life. So hold on tight! I know that you WILL make it though!**_

_**Peter**_

_**P.S. Happy Birthday!**_

After I read the note, I then noticed something else in the box. I carefully took the thing out with my three fingers, realizing it was a big, beautiful, luscious red rose. I breathed in the sweet smell of the beautiful flower slowly, savoring every scent I could catch from what I was taking in.

I smiled once more, hugging the rose gently against my chest with by right hand as I looked out of the window to see the dark, starry, midnight sky with a full, silver moon, through my open window that allowed some to pour in.

Could Peter still see me now?

I hoped so.


End file.
